‼️FABULOUS‼️ If you think you’d enjoy a historical fiction novel about an exceptionally bright young woman who had ambitions to be a stockbroker during the 1920’s, I encourage you to INVEST your time reading this electrifying story! The RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT will be a PAYOUT OF GREAT DIVIDENDS in your reading pleasure. The release of The Trade Off is October 8th and it will definitely be a great ASSET to add to your TBR PORTFOLIO.

Fictional Bea Abramovitz, hailing from Jewish immigrant parents, had a wild and imaginative mind in the 1920’s when she declared her interest in becoming a stockbroker on Wall Street. Despite her education and brilliant ability to recognize patterns and make accurate financial predictions, Bea was turned down as a result of sexism and antisemitism but didn’t let that end her dream.

With a cast of endearing characters set against the backdrop of NYC in the 1920’s, this story captured my interest and my heart from the very first page. Please don’t neglect to read the Author’s Note as it is so enlightening in how the book came to be. Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishers and Samantha Greene Woodruff for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars rounded up. Woodruff has done it again, and by "it", I mean explore an interesting topic with the twist of shining the light on a female lead character in an unexpected place and time. Bea Abramovitz, our main character, has an uncanny mathematical ability to analyze the market and make profitable investments. She is seemingly always able to save the day, even after a cataclysmic error on her part that causes her family to lose it all. She faces gender, economic and religious hurdles of the 1920s during her plight. Will she be able to help her family survive the big Stock Market Crash in spite of it all? If you "Buy" into The Trade Off you will find out... Half point deduction for excessive use of Yiddish terms that all users might not understand. Overall, Woodruff's 2nd novel is a fantastic historical fiction that puts a female character of her time in the forefront.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Samantha Greene Woodruff for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I was thrilled when Woodruff sent me her sophomore novel. I loved her debut The Lobotomist’s Wife, and this one is another stunning novel about a strong female.
The protagonist Bea Abramovitz has always wanted to work on Wall Street with the Stock Market. She has always had a brilliant mind for numbers and finance. The 1920s as Jewish women living in a Lower East Side tenement was a challenge for the life she yearned for. Once graduating college, she wanting to find a job with the stock market. She ends up striking a deal with her twin brother Jake who has the charm, BUT not the heard for numbers. Will this prove to be a good partnership with all the secrets it entails? She might loose the love or her life and frankly does not have the support of her family who have always put her brother on a pedestal.
I really recommend this novel and her debut one if you like strong female protagonist who prove that women can have the jobs that are/were traditional “male” role.

Samantha Greene Woodruff has written a wonderful book about the hardship of women in the 1920s on Wall Street.. I also includes the topics of family and the power that money has to destroy happiness. the main character, Bea Abromovits is a math genius. She would love to work and make trades on Wall Street. Almost impossible as she is from the lower east side and doesn't have the wealthy contacts that the other women traders have. She takes another job in a firm and does very well but wishes she could do actual trading. So a plan is devised with her charming brother. What follows is a tale of male dominance , immoral business dealings and the loyalty of family. Based on a true story makes you wonder why Wall Street trading is still such a male dominated field., and so slow to change

I absolutely loved this book! It is incredibly well written and thoroughly demonstrates a picture of what life would've been like for a woman trying to make it on Wall Street in the 20s. I truly enjoyed seeing the perspective of someone following the market before the crash, and I say that as someone who knows basically nothing about investing or the stock market. The author did an amazing job of making it interesting while keeping it basic enough for those of us with no market experience to understand. The story also had great character development, a victory arc, and a happy ending. Highly recommend!

A great read! I truly enjoyed this novel set in the financial district of Wall Street. The family characters were strong ambitious individuals each striving to make a healthy living. Beatrice in particular was a lady with big ambitions of becoming a stockbroker in an all-inclusive men’s world. With an intuition that brought success, it also affected the relationship with her stockbroker boyfriend Nathaniel. Written in a manner that both educates and informs the reader of the Stock Market into the complexities of investing. What goes up must come down - and what a crash it was.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Lake Union for their APC in exchange for an honest review.

Set against the backdrop of the late 1920's in New York City, this novel tells the story of one extraordinary woman's desire to join the male-dominated ranks of stock brokers on Wall Street. It's packed full of financial talk which, while I didn't completely understand, I did appreciate as it made the characters and the story feel authentic. The author put a lot of research into the markets of the time and the people who were recognizable figures of the day.

I liked the choice of lead character for this book. The author wanted to discuss the stock market crash of 1929 and the events leading up to it, and she was able to do that while indluding issues of class and gender through the lens of a highly intelligent young woman trying to make her own mark in a world that was not open to her at that time in history. Reading about her struggles and the choices that she made to balance her professional and personal life felt both authentic to the time and still relevant today.

This story does heavily emphasize the stock market and there is a great deal of detailed information about financial data that I, admittedly, did not completely understand. I didn't feel, however, that this detracted from the plot; but I do think that someone with a financial background or an interest in such things would find this book even more rewarding. I was able to follow the basics, but the specifics might have added to the story even more. There was enough of a balance, though, that if you don't love numbers and data, I think you'll still be ok to read this.

Bottom line: if you enjoy historical fiction set in the 1920's, strong female leads trying to bend traditional gender roles, and especially if you're interested in finance or business; this is an enjoyable read worth checking out.

This book drew me in with the character depth & the details of the stock market. Truly enjoyed the main characters tenacity during this timeframe in history.

I found the setting of this book very interesting, as I had never read a book set in this time period focusing on Wall Street. However, I found the characters in this book quite annoying at times.

Short sellers in the stock market have always been cast as villains - from James Bond’s Casino Royale to the GameStop short sellers in the news.

Let Samantha Greene Woodruff introduce you to her heroine - a Jewish protagonist with a brain for numbers from a poor immigrant family in the Lower East Side. Not your average stock broker, right? Certainly not one you’d expect to be a protagonist after the bad rap short sellers have been given or one you’d expect from a story set in the 1920s! Woodruff upends our preconceived notions and pulls it off with ease.

The novel opens with the scene on Black Tuesday (Oct. 29, 1929) and readers are instantly aware of the devastating effects of financial loss. I’d studied this before and even taught it in Canadian Grade 11 Social Studies. Studying the facts doesn’t put you in the shoes on the ground to experience the psychological, emotional and physical trauma experienced that day. Woodruff places readers there.

The novel then hops back to three years before the crash and readers are introduced to the Abramovitz twins - Beatrice and Jake - and follow them as their lives parallel the fluctuations of the stock market. It’s not difficult for readers to begin rooting for Bea when we discover how unfairly she’s treated by her mother. Bea has a dream of becoming a stock broker on Wall Street, but society isn’t ready for her yet. Even more disappointing for Bea, is that her Russian parents want the twins to play it safe with their future after all the sacrifices they’ve made to give Bea and Jake opportunities.

Woodruff writes to show readers that despite the 1920s being a time when women’s rights were soaring, the early days of women in Wall Street weren’t as welcoming. Every immigrant group struggles to establish themselves, but Woodruff’s examination of the Jewish immigrants in the early part of the 20th century is one that hasn’t often been highlighted in historical fiction. It was a refreshing change.

Woodruff definitely accomplishes her goal of writing to expose the complex morality of wealth. I was lost in her well-researched story examining perseverance and trusting oneself. I have no doubt data nerds will love this one, as will historical fiction lovers and those who love to learn as they read.

I was gifted this copy by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Trade Off
by Samantha Greene Woodruff
Pub Date: Oct 08 2024

Bea Abramovitz has a gift for math and numbers. With her father, she studies the burgeoning Wall Street market’s stocks and patterns in the financial pages. After college she’s determined to parlay her talent for the prediction game into personal and professional success. But in the 1920s, in a Lower East Side tenement, opportunities for women don’t just come knocking. Bea will have to create them.

It’s easier for her golden-boy twin brother, Jake, who longs to reclaim all their parents lost after fleeing the pogroms in Russia to come to America. Well intentioned but undisciplined, Jake has a charm that can carry him only so far on Wall Street. So Bea devises a plan. They’ll be a secret team, and she’ll be the brains behind the broker. As Jake’s reputation, his heedless ego, and the family fortune soar, Bea foresees catastrophe: an impending crash that could destroy everything if she doesn’t finally take control.

Inspired by the true story of a pioneering investment legend, The Trade Off is a powerful novel about identity, sacrifice, family loyalties, and the complex morality of money.

Bea loves numbers and aspires to be a broker on Wall Street. However, in the 1920s, female brokers are unheard of and fighting a losing battle, she devises a plan with her brother, Jake. Jake gets hired as a broker and Bea is the brains behind the decisions he makes in his role. With the tumultuous stock market that only Bea foresees, she has to make plans to save her family's fortunes while battling her dubious family and friends.

I enjoyed the strong, resilient and self-believing character of Bea, how she backed herself even when no one was in her corner. I didn't enjoy how she continually picked up the pieces after Jake and he seemingly made mistake after mistake with no consequences.

Absolutely enthralling. Bea is such an endearing main character. I loved the relationship between her and Nate, as well as the beautiful friendships Bea formed on Wall Street. This book truly kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Trade Off, by Samantha Greene Woodruff, is a fascinating novel set in 1920's NYC. Bea is a brilliant woman who wants to make her fortune on Wall Street. But women weren't exactly welcome on Wall Street back then, so she enlists her brother in a daring plan. Together, they have a front row seat to the Crash of 1929. As someone who worked on Wall Street for years, I absolutely devoured this novel! Beautiful written, and the author's attention to the historical record shined through in every page. Highly recommend!!!

“The Trade Off” by Samantha Greene Woodruff is a great story about perseverance and the importance of believing in yourself despite the challenges of life. The story is about a brilliant young woman from an immigrant Jewish family whose dream is to become a stockbroker in the 1920s. It is fascinating to learn about Wall Street at that time and the lead up to the crash of 1929. This is a compelling look into the struggles of being a woman who wants a career in banking at that time is our history. This book ultimately is about the resilience of family, love, and the strong bonds of friendship. This book will appeal to many age groups and to anyone who likes to read about extraordinary women!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An inspiring histfic tale of Bea Abramovitz, a brilliant Jewish math genius and stockbroker wannabe, just as the market crashes in 1929. Readers who love to read about exceptional women will devour this.

The story of Bea Abramovitz is central to a novel that can be inspirational for teenagers as well as an older audience. Bea is a mathematical genius obsessed by the movement of the stock market. Her dream is to become a broker, but that world is closed to women, especially Jewish women. Despite a lowly position in a brokerage firm, Bea continues to study and persevere.

Woodruff had sprinkled lots of lighter material in the novel, including the supportive friendships of women. There are clear insights into the social structure of America during the 1920’s.

Bea begins to take on new challenges, such as real estate and expanding her family’s markets. But the year is 1929, so the reader is alert to the impending doom and tumult in the stock market. But, Bea ‘s extraordinary intellect ultimately triumphs.

Thank you Netgalley for this novel that I can recommend to multiple age groups. It will serve as a great jumping off point in many women’s studies classes.

This was enjoyable. I think Woodruff is also a talented writer. I enjoyed the setting and the themes explored. Solid book.

The Trade Off by S. G. Woodruff, published by Lake Union Publishing is a historical novel.
A story about sacrifice, loyalty and moralty.
The story is set in the 1920ies and tells the story of Bea and her win brother Jack.
Bea is the mathematic talent in the family. With a knack for stocks and patterns she could have a brilliant future. But her father favores her twin brother, golden boy Jack.
A wonderful book, quiet and touching, stays with he reader long after finishing the book.